Voltage-supply circuit and method for providing a circuit with a supply voltage
First Claim
1. A voltage-supply circuit, comprising:
- a regulator circuit, which is connected between a first supply-voltage feed line and a second supply-voltage feed line, and which is formed to regulate, based on a first supply voltage present on the first supply-voltage feed line, a second supply voltage present on the second supply-voltage feed line, the regulator circuit being formed to provide a supply current to the second supply-voltage feed line,wherein the regulator circuit comprises a regulation transistor which is connected between the first supply-voltage feed line and the second supply-voltage feed line to provide the supply current to the second supply-voltage feed line;
an operating-point determiner, which is formed to determine, based on information that is a measure for the supply current, whether the regulator circuit is at a low operating point at which the supply current is below a determined value,wherein at a supply current below the determined value the second supply voltage temporarily falls in amount below a predetermined permissible minimum voltage value below which a reliable operation of a circuit provided with the second supply voltage is not guaranteed if the current present on the second supply-voltage feed line rises by a predetermined current amount within a predetermined period; and
a preventer, which is formed to prevent, starting from the low operating point, a rise of the supply current by at least the predetermined current amount from occurring within the predetermined period.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A current-supply circuit includes a regulation transistor. The regulation transistor is formed to regulate, based on a first supply voltage present on a first supply-voltage feed line, a second supply voltage present on a second supply-voltage feed line. The regulation transistor provides a supply current to the second supply-voltage feed line. The voltage-supply circuit further includes an operating-point determiner, which is formed to determine, based on information that is a measure for the supply current, whether the regulation transistor is at a low operating point at which the supply current is below a determined current. The voltage-supply circuit further includes a preventer that is formed to prevent, starting from the low operating point, a rise of the supply current by at least a predetermined current amount from occurring within a predetermined period.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A voltage-supply circuit, comprising:
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a regulator circuit, which is connected between a first supply-voltage feed line and a second supply-voltage feed line, and which is formed to regulate, based on a first supply voltage present on the first supply-voltage feed line, a second supply voltage present on the second supply-voltage feed line, the regulator circuit being formed to provide a supply current to the second supply-voltage feed line, wherein the regulator circuit comprises a regulation transistor which is connected between the first supply-voltage feed line and the second supply-voltage feed line to provide the supply current to the second supply-voltage feed line; an operating-point determiner, which is formed to determine, based on information that is a measure for the supply current, whether the regulator circuit is at a low operating point at which the supply current is below a determined value, wherein at a supply current below the determined value the second supply voltage temporarily falls in amount below a predetermined permissible minimum voltage value below which a reliable operation of a circuit provided with the second supply voltage is not guaranteed if the current present on the second supply-voltage feed line rises by a predetermined current amount within a predetermined period; and a preventer, which is formed to prevent, starting from the low operating point, a rise of the supply current by at least the predetermined current amount from occurring within the predetermined period. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19)
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16. A method for providing a circuit with a supply voltage using a regulation transistor, which is connected between a first supply-voltage feed line and a second supply-voltage feed line, and which is formed to regulate, based on a first supply voltage present on the first supply-voltage feed line, a second supply voltage present on the second supply-voltage feed line, the regulation transistor providing a supply current the second supply voltage, the method comprising:
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determining whether the regulation transistor is at a low operating point, based on information that is a measure for the supply current, the regulation transistor being at a low operating point when the supply current is below a predetermined value, wherein, at a supply current below the predetermined value, the second supply voltage temporarily falls in amount below a predetermined permissible minimum voltage value below which reliable operation of a circuit provided with the second supply voltage is not guaranteed if the current present on the second supply-voltage feed line rises by a predetermined current amount within a predetermined period; and preventing, starting from the low operating point, a rise of the supply current by at least the predetermined current amount from occurring within the predetermined period.
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17. A voltage-supply apparatus, comprising:
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a regulator means, which is connected between a first supply-voltage feed line and a second supply-voltage feed line, for regulating, based on a first supply voltage present on the first supply-voltage feed line, a second supply voltage present on the second supply-voltage feed line, and the regulator means for providing a supply current to the second supply-voltage feed line; an operating-point determination means for determining, based on information that the operating-point determination means is a measure for the supply current, whether the regulator means is at a low operating point at which the supply current is below a determined value, wherein at a supply current below the determined value the second supply voltage temporarily falls in amount below a predetermined permissible minimum voltage value below which a reliable operation of a circuit provided with the second supply voltage is not guaranteed if the current present on the second supply-voltage feed line rises by a predetermined current amount within a predetermined period; and a prevention means for preventing staffing from the low operating point, a rise of the supply current by at least the predetermined current amount from occurring within the predetermined period.
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Specification